By JOHN A. BALLENTINE For The Prairie News TOULON – It has been over 20 years in the making, but Stark County – which is the last of 102 Illinois counties to receive E911 service – will begin constructing a new E911 Service Communications Center in Toulon. Officials from Stark and Peoria counties held a groundreaking last Friday for the center, which will be attached and east of the existing jail building. The two counties have entered an agreement on E911 service. In addition, a new 180-foot radio tower will be installed to better transmit and receive emergency calls that…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Traffic citations & Ordinance violations 10-20 – Jermaine G. Hickman – Driving 15-20 mph above limit and operating an uninsured vehicle. 10-26 – Adrin S. Ward – Driving 21-25 mph above limit. 10-26 – Alonso Favela – Driving 11-14 mph above limit. 10-26 – Toby J. Roberts – Driving 21-25 mph above limit. 10-26 – Ashley A. Mancera – Driving 21-25 mph above limit. 10-27 – Noah E. Clay – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. 10-27 – Kaden M. Rutherford –…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – Some day, Virgil Haggard will have a heckuva story to tell his kids and grandkids. “Did I ever tell you the one about me blocking a kick by the best high school punter in the U.S.?” the Farmington senior center will ask. Unlike many parental memories, this one will be accurate. And Haggard won’t even have to embellish how important his block was in a playoff game filled with wacky pitches, diving catches and big plays of all sorts. That Farmington rallied from a 14-0 deficit to beat El Paso-Gridley, 40-30, in…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Police reports • FARMINGTON – A Farmington woman was cited for falsely reporting her baby girl was abducted by the baby’s father, according to authorities. Story S. Hewitt, 40, called Farmington police about 8:15 p.m. Oct. 26 and reported she had argued with the baby’s father. According to her, he then took the baby from a residence in the 100 block of E. Court St. and told Hewitt he wasn’t bringing her back, a police report stated. Police called the father…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post Two candidates are running for Knox County Sheriff. Here are questions and answers from the two candidates, Republican Jack Harlan and Democrat James Robertson. Question: Why are you running for Sheriff? Jack Harlan: I served this great nation for over 20 years in peacetime and war and took an oath to serve and protect the Constitution of the United States and the people, just like every current public servant has. We need a strong leader who will ensure all laws are enforced equally, hold people accountable, and protect and defend our Constitutional rights. I know…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post Most attention will be on major statewide races in Illinois for the upcoming Nov. 8 general election. Illinois leadership roles of governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer will all be decided in less than two weeks, though more and more votes are being cast already in early opportunities. Voters will also voice their opinion on a Workers’ Right Amendment that would “add a new section to the Bill of Rights Article of the Illinois Constitution that would guarantee workers the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively.” Democrat Tammy Duckworth…

By NICK VLAHOS For The Weekly Post LEWISTOWN – In their jobs at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Ryan Maricle and Jon Webb have worked side-by-side. In the election for Fulton County Sheriff, Maricle and Webb are on opposite sides. Either Maricle or Webb will become the first new sheriff in Lewistown, the county seat, in 16 years. Four-term incumbent Jeff Standard isn’t running for re-election. Election day is Nov. 8. Webb, a 36-year-old Republican, is a sergeant who helps handle felony investigations, among other duties. A graduate of Lewistown High School and Western Illinois University, Webb was a part-time police…

By NICK VLAHOS For The Weekly Post MAQUON – A woman was arrested Tuesday in connection with a dead body found last week in a storage unit in southern Knox County. Marcy L. Oglesby, 50, of Maquon was accused of concealment of death, a felony, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. To be released from jail, Oglesby would have to pay $1,000 toward her bond. The body was found Oct. 7 among storage units at 105 E. Third St. in Maquon. An autopsy didn’t determine the cause of death, according to Brad Davis, a sheriff’s-office detective. “The body was in…

How to find CNI’s coverage of statewide races By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS On Nov. 8, Illinois voters will cast a ballot on a state constitutional amendment, every statewide constitutional office, every seat in the General Assembly and, in 12 counties, a spot on the state’s Supreme Court.   Ahead of Election Day, the Capitol News Illinois team has – independently or in collaboration with newspaper editors across the state – been working on candidate interviews and policy discussions with those running for some of the state’s most prominent offices. The purpose of this voter’s guide is to link readers to…

Rambling through central Illinois, hoping for rain. • • • The boring Midwest life increasingly looks appealing. We have water to drink, but no hurricanes or worries about rising sea levels. We have invasive Japanese beetles, but no pythons or anacondas. Our big toothy predator is the coyote, no alligators and only occasional bears and mountain lions. … That being said, enough with the red dog. My vehicles are filthy. … And a Princeton group has a solution for another problem in The Prairie State. New Illinois Inc. seeks a new state separate from Chicago and urban Cook County. Writes…